I have little time and little money but I’m a student and soon to be wife and I need to climb aboard the “people who can cook” wagon sooner or later. Normally I’m cooking for two in my small Sydney apartment. So small in fact that I have 120cmx55cm of bench space (and this space is divided into two areas!) which makes the preparation of anything that doesn’t cut into my study area (the kitchen table) difficult. Increasing the difficulty is that the very sensitive smoke detector is positioned directly above the kitchen and the gas on my stove “blows out” for no apparent reason and with no warning.
Still, I love food, and love a challenge even more, so when my soon-to-be husband said to me “do you cook anything that isn’t made in a pressure cooker?” I took it more as a call to arms than a compliment on my prowess with said pressure cooker (those things are amazing).
The more I learn about food the more I love it. I try to cook within the bounds of a mantra from the great mind of Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” As difficult as it is to feed myself in a way that is good for my health, the environment and my bank account, its worth the challenge and I will no doubt look back on this happy time, free of children and full time employment as one where I taught myself some tricks so that when people come to dinner I can smile knowing that I truly have made something good. For now though I will continue to enjoy my cooking adventure like someone who takes heir first step into the wild.
